1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stainless-steel floor constructed on a floor bed, and to a method of constructing the stainless-steel floor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Floors used in food and pharmaceutical factories, research laboratories and other such facilities are required to have various properties, such as wear resistance, heat resistance, resistance to chemicals, water resistance, resistance to microorganisms, and to be antifungal and odorless. To achieve this, the floor material is given a finish coating of a material having the required resistance properties.
However, coated floors require time and effort, in addition to which because of the rigorous conditions under which the floors are used, floor coatings tend to readily blister, peel and crack, and therefore need to be repaired every some years. For this reason, recently stainless-steel plates are being used instead of such floor coatings.
To use stainless-steel plates for flooring, concrete is first poured beforehand. Then, afterwards, the stainless-steel plates are placed on the concrete bed and welded together, plate by plate. Thus, the stainless-steel plates are not bonded to the concrete. A problem therefore has been that in order to ensure the strength of the floor, the stainless-steel plates have to be 4 to 6 mm thick, which increases the cost. Another problem is that using thicker stainless-steel plates makes the floor position higher, which can hinder the opening and closing of doors. A further problem is that of the limited precision of the welds between the plates, which can result in a deterioration of the waterproof property of the floor.
In view of the foregoing, an object of the present invention is to provide a method of constructing a stainless-steel floor that enables the floor to be constructed at a low cost, does not raise the position of the floor and ensures that the floor is adequately waterproof, and to provide a stainless-steel floor.
To attain the above object, the present invention provides a method of constructing a stainless-steel floor on a floor bed, comprising the steps of placing a plurality of support members at predetermined positions on the floor bed, placing a stainless-steel plate on the plurality of support members, and supplying a material that bonds the stainless-steel plate to the floor bed into a space formed between the floor bed and the stainless-steel plate.
The above construction method can include a step of providing a leakage-prevention member between an outer edge of a lower surface of the stainless-steel plate and the floor bed to prevent leakage of the material supplied between the floor bed and the stainless-steel plate.
The above construction method can include a step of disposing a supply hose in the space between the floor bed and the stainless-steel plate, and a step of supplying a filler material from one end of the hose into the space to bond the stainless-steel plate to the floor bed. A groove can be formed at a predetermined position in the floor bed, and the hose is inserted into the groove. In such a case, it is preferable for the groove formed in the floor bed to be positioned along a central line of the stainless-steel plate or in the vicinity thereof.
The construction method can also include a step of inserting a nozzle of the hose in from one side towards an opposite side of the stainless-steel plate, and a step of withdrawing the hose back along the groove as the space is being filled from the opposite side of the stainless-steel plate.
The method also includes a step of using an adhesive to bond the stainless-steel plate to the floor bed by placing the adhesive at a predetermined position in the space formed between the floor bed and the stainless-steel plate, and a step of using a plurality of spreading-prevention members to enclose the adhesive. The adhesive enclosed by the plurality of support members can be placed in position when the support members are placed in position on the floor bed.
When a plurality of stainless steel plates are laid on the support members, it is preferable to insert caulking material between adjacent stainless-steel plates.
The above object is also attained by a stainless-steel floor, comprising support members located on a floor bed, a stainless-steel plate laid on the support members, and a filler material inserted into a space formed between the floor bed and the stainless-steel plate, that bonds the stainless-steel plate to the floor bed.
Instead of the above filler material, the stainless-steel plate can be bonded to the floor bed by an adhesive enclosed by spreading-prevention members.
The stainless-steel plate can be comprised of a box-shaped stainless-steel body open on one side, and concrete poured into the stainless-steel body. This is an economical way of constituting a floor, since the strength of the floor is maintained even if the thickness of the stainless-steel body is reduced. Moreover, laying the hose in a groove in the floor bed and withdrawing the hose as the space is being filled with the filler material makes it possible to construct a stainless-steel floor even when there are constraints on the height of the floor.
Further features of the invention, its nature and various advantages will be more apparent from the accompanying drawings and following detailed description of the invention.